At its 104th Annual Meeting, held Oct. 27 via Zoom teleconference, the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® (HGAR) awarded Joseph Rand, chief creative officer of Howard Hanna/Rand Realty in Nanuet as its “REALTOR® of the Year” for 2020. John Jordan, owner of Hudson Valley Editorial Services in Middletown, was named the 2020 HGAR “Affiliate Member of the Year”. Crystal Hawkins Syska of Keller Williams NY Realty in White Plains, was honored with the HGAR President’s Award for 2020.
Rand has enjoyed a career in the real estate industry for over 30 years and is part of the Rand Realtor family. The residential brokerage firm the family opened in 1984 now has more than 1,000 real estate sales associates and operates 28 offices.
Rand is often quoted in news articles about the real estate market, and has been a featured guest on many radio and television shows. He has also served as a featured speaker at many industry-related events, and has been honored by RISMedia with a Real Estate Newsmaker award.
In addition, Rand is the author of two books, is the new executive director of the Broker Public Portal with Homesnap, and is managing partner and general counsel for Rand Commercial and Hudson United Mortgage/Title/Insurance.
Always active in his local community, he participated in a walk that raised thousands of dollars for local hospitals during the height of the pandemic. Prior to a career in real estate, Rand was an attorney for a Wall Street law firm, as well as a law professor.
Jordan has been affiliated with the association for over 25 years, serving as editor of the former “Westchester Realtor,” and now “Real Estate in Depth.” He has reported on business, finance, residential and commercial real estate, trends, breaking news, and more. Jordan helped to grow the trade publication from a circulation of just 3,000 to over 14,000 today, with a coverage area including Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties.
Over the years, he has written for various publications including “The New York Times,” “Gannett Newspapers,” “Westchester Business Journal,” “Construction News,” “Globe Street,” and more.
Hawkins Syska, who will take over the reigns as HGAR President in 2021, has been a REALTOR® for over 15 years and is a member of the HGAR Board of Directors. She has been an HGAR director for the past three years and has served on 10 different association committees throughout the years.
Current HGAR President Gail Fattizzi chose Hawkins Syska for the President’s Award because of her enthusiasm, willingness to help and industry knowledge. “My horizons have been broadened, my perspectives enlightened and my spirit lifted by what I’ve learned,” said Fattizzi. “I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this year’s award.”
“Congratulations to our all of our winners for their extraordinary contributions to this organization and to their communities,” said Richard Haggerty, HGAR CEO. “They are truly an inspiration for us all.”
For more information, please visit www.hgar.com.
